Macdonald previews Seahawks’ pivotal NFC West clash vs Cardinals

It’s been an unusual week of preparation for the Seattle Seahawks, to say the least.

Storm leaves Seahawks without power at practice facility

Like hundreds of thousands of households throughout the greater Seattle area, the Seahawks’ practice facility in Renton was without power on Wednesday and Thursday in the wake of Tuesday night’s “bomb cyclone” storm system that ripped through the Puget Sound region.

The Seahawks were still able to practice both days at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, which received limited power from generators. Head coach Mike Macdonald said the coaching staff was still able to get in its usual work.

“I mean, relatively speaking, this is a walk in the park for what probably a lot of people are experiencing,” Macdonald told Steve Raible during Friday morning’s Mike Macdonald Preview on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. “We’ve got a lot of people helping us out. We’ve got a generator that’s powering a lot of the coaching stuff, so our video still works. We’re still able to meet. We’re just not able to meet in (our) normal meeting spaces, which that’s OK – we’ve got plenty of space.

“(And you) don’t need power to go practice. So all those things are good. We could still get all our reps in.”

It marks the second straight week that the Seahawks have had some unusual hurdles to overcome.

Last week, Seattle made the stunning decision to release starting inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson and then faced the abrupt retirement of starting center Connor Williams. The Seahawks handled it all in stride and came up with their biggest win of the year, as Geno Smith led a last-minute game-winning drive to beat the San Francisco 49ers for a potentially season-saving 20-17 triumph.

“The last couple of weeks have been a little funky, but that’s OK,” Macdonald said. “You’ve gotta be able to adapt and adjust and move and shake and stick to the plan and change it when you need to. And I think if you have that mentality and you’re not so rigid, then that’s how you handle when things kind of go off-kilter a little bit. But it’s been a good week.”

Seattle’s last-second road win over the 49ers was an emotional victory that snapped a demoralizing six-game losing skid to its most bitter rival.

The Seahawks (5-5) now have another massive game on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field, where they host the first-place Arizona Cardinals (6-4) in a pivotal NFC West clash. With a victory, Seattle can move into a tie for first place atop the wide-open division.

“You have to bring it every week, and that’s something that you have to be consistent in the NFL. We talk about having big games and it’s a playoff mindset. But I mean, you really need to have that mindset every time they step on the field – even in practice, the urgency to get it right – otherwise you’re not going to grow and get those things done. … We understand what’s at stake this game.”

After back-to-back four-win campaigns, the Cardinals are one of the NFL’s biggest surprises. Arizona sputtered to a 2-4 start, but has since won four straight under second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon.

The Cardinals’ defense has taken a major leap, skyrocketing to 12th in points allowed per game this season after ranking 31st each of the past two years. And the offense has benefited from a return to health for dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray, who was limited to just 19 games over the previous two seasons.

Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick, is having the best season of his career. He has completed 69.2% of his passes for 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while rushing for 371 yards and four scores. He ranks second in ESPN’s QBR metric, fourth in rushing yards among QBs and fifth in completion rate.

Murray’s top two targets are tight end Trey McBride and rookie No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. McBride ranks third among tight ends with 552 receiving yards, while Harrison has 499 receiving yards and six TD catches. Veteran running back James Conner has also had a solid season, rushing for 697 yards and five TDs.

“They’re playing at a really high level both on the ground and in the air,” Macdonald said. “… (Kyler) is a piece of work back there, man. He’s pretty dang good. He’s playing as good as anybody right now in the league.”

Macdonald hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the significance of Sunday’s showdown, saying earlier this week that the Seahawks are treating it like a “home playoff game.”

While speaking with Raible, Macdonald pointed to the positive things his team has done to position themselves for a late-season run.

“We’ve earned the right to have a meaningful game here in late November (and) put ourselves in a position to go down the home stretch in a prime spot in our division,” Macdonald said. “…We’ve done a lot of great things to put ourselves in a position where these games really are gonna mean something coming down the stretch.”

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